“To improve our estimates, we adopted a rollingwave planning methodology because it allowed usto further detail those aspects of the project thatcouldn’t be defined years in advance,” he says.“Reviews of all the elements of the project weremade at least once a year, and in a limited numberof cases, this helped us identify cuts.”The program also included a dedicated team ofbudget controllers for each division. The controllersperformed long-term budget reviews, sometimes asoften as three times a year, which allowed the teamto adopt budget changes quickly and with confi-dence, he says. During the first two years, short-term reviews happened every four months, he says.

“Reviewing the budget constantly provided uswith a very detailed knowledge of the costs and allthe activities taking place,” he says. “We were ableto see the final objective and, at the same time, focuson the immediate detail.”As a result of its vigilant monitoring, the teamwasn’t rattled by budget crises. For instance, inNovember 2011, three years after Milan securedthe winning bid, the Expo 2015 board of directorssliced €300 million from the initial budget, whichled to cuts in expensive infrastructure works, mostof them slated for outside the exhibition site, Mr.Acbano says. “The cut was made to concentrate theresources on what was essential to the project anddid not affect the essence of the event,” he says.

While keeping a close watch on the budget, theExpo team was also on guard for potential cor-ruption relative to high-profile contract biddingand execution. The Italian government made surethe team was focused on bid accountability. Forinstance, a judge from Italy’s Court of Accountsattended each of the Expo’s board meetings toensure the € 1. 3 billion in funding from the Italiangovernment was properly spent. The team alsoworked with Italy’s anti-corruption authority todevelop a mechanism that reviewed important bidsbefore they were issued to Expo 2015.

“Transparency helped prevent corruption,” Mr.
Acbano says. “The anti-corruption team and the
review mechanism control was inestimable in preventing further risks that could impact time and cost.”

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

The signature attraction—and greatest project puzzle—was a village of pavilions and a surrounding
cluster of smaller cultural exhibits (see “Global Attractions,” page 51). Although each country was responsible for planning and building its own pavilion, Expo
2015 project managers had to ensure each facility
followed national laws and met Expo 2015 regulations
after BIE approved each country’s designs.

For instance, pavilions and exhibits had to follow
size limits, and designs had to adequately represent
the event’s theme, “Feeding the Planet, Energy for

A LONG TIMECOMING

2006 Italian
government
proposes to Bureau
of International
Exhibitions (BIE)
that Milan, Italy
host Expo 2015

2008 BIE selects
Milan

2009 Project team
presents design
concept to public

2010 BIE approves
Expo 2015 plan

January 2011

Expo 2015 sends
invitations to all
United Nations
member countries
asking them to
participate in the
Expo